5. Women’s Liberation Center

US: Women’s Liberation March – 1971

Whenever a Women’s March is mentioned now, people often think back to the recent 2017 Women’s March on Washington. However, marching for women’s rights is not a new concept and many of the rights women have today are the result of multiple generations of women standing up for what they believe in. A group of such women was located in New York City.

The Women’s Liberation Center opened in in 1972 on West 20th Street, Manhattan so groups of women, especially groups geared toward lesbians, could have a place to meet. The building remained open until 1987. The Lesbian Feminist Liberation group, which had formerly been a subset of the Gay Activists Alliance, used the building for meetings. The group held many demonstrations and marches and fought against the portrayal of women as subservient to men.

Also located in the center was a lesbian switchboard that served as a hotline to provide information, advice, and counseling to lesbian women which later moved to the LGBT Community Center until 1997.